It’s party time: politics in fashion
● With election season in full swing political parties and entrepreneurs are on the bandwagon to boost coffers and woo fashion-forward voters with their range of shoes, shirts and bucket hats.
Most of the merchandise — including Louis Vuitton-styled bags, sandals and sneakers as well as bibs, pinafores and sarongs — is sold online on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.
While the MK Party may be a political newbie, entrepreneurs have come up with trendy designs to kit out followers of former president Jacob Zuma.
A party golf shirt with ethnic designs and the trademark logo will cost you R350, the bucket hat costs R150 while the energy drink sells for R15.
Buhle Hlatswayo runs a printing business in Johannesburg and said MK jackets for R700 and camo hats for R150 were selling well. Another supplier on social media offers a golf-shirt and green beret with the party’s logo for R300 while peaks and caps range from R150 to R200.
Businesswoman Phindile Shabalala from Verulam, north of Durban, said the energy drink had taken off. “We noticed the volumes of people who’ve joined party and thought why not introduce the beverage. We are quite thrilled to report that it’s doing well,” said Shabalala. Plans are being made for a juices range.
The ANC ran a lucrative online store for years, but its e-commerce option is no longer operational. Regalia, including bibs for R150 — used by the party leadership and marshals during events — and golf shirts between R350 and R400, are available through individual vendors.
ANC supporters also have the option of pinafores (R450), sarongs (R70), a Winnie Mandela jacket (R700), leather jackets (R3,500) and bucket hats (R150 to R250).
Vendor Nhlanhla Lacoste Ngilande is doing a roaring trade on Facebook with limited stocks of takkies for R500, bags based on Luis Vuitton designs for R400 and A-line minidresses for R450.
“Stocks are selling fast,” he said.
The EFF has a limited online range of 10th anniversary regalia, including puffer jackets for R1,800, rain jackets for R1,200, hoodies for R550, aprons at R100, two options of T-shirts for R200, car magnets for R500 and a gazebo that will set you back R5,000.
The IFP’s golf shirts — some honouring founder Mangosuthu Buthelezi — are R400 for short sleeves and R500 for long sleeves.
Mbali Dladla, who runs a printing business in KwaZulu-Natal, said the Tshirts had been well-received at a rally last week. Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA golf shirts sell for R350 while its T-shirt is available at R200 and a sarong at R150. Halalisani Ndlovu, campaign manager for KwaZulu-Natal premier candidate Zwakele Mncwango, said there was a meticulous process to ensure local suppliers were not excluded from production.
“The main aim is to try to rotate all designers so we have inclusive economic prosperity ... We always just look out for young designers,” said Ndlovu.
The DA sells T-shirts for R150, blue caps at R170 and shopper bags for R170. Xolani Zulu, former acting MD for the KwaZulu-Natal Fashion Council, said the participation was disappointing . “Political parties are not putting their money where their mouth is. Most of them are not enlisting local designs [but] use cheap imports from China.”
Zulu was also not taken by the new pinafores and overalls. “I think the designers could also be more imaginative. Pinafores to me are just reminiscent of the oppression endured as African people.”